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Wind exajoules | 25 comments (25 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Electricity -> heat pump (none / 1)
Electricity can be used to power heat pumps. Much more heat for your bang. When fossil fuels get more expensive and electricity relatively cheaper, they get even more attractive than they already are.
Of course, they suffer the same drawback as wind power: costly initial investment, that takes years to pay back.

A 'centrist' is someone who's neither on the left, nor on the left.
by nicta (nico＠altiva․fr) on Tue Feb 12th, 2008 at 04:20:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Electricity -> heat pump (none / 0)
Yes, I mentioned heat pumps in my first post. They are one reason why electricity-based renewables (or nuclear, same story) are a possible competitor to fossil-fuel based direct heating.

Your point about costly investment is good, especially if you keep in mind that to have renewable house heating, you have to have both. Heat pumps to allow efficient electricity based heating, plus wind/solar to have renewable electricity, and this has to compete with a gaspipe+central heating,or even coal ovens.

A question to which I do not know the direct answer: is a heat pump run on fossil-fuel generated electricity more efficient than direct fossil heating? I seem to remember that a heat pump's big savings came from replacing aircos in summer, not from heating in winter.

by GreatZamfir on Wed Feb 13th, 2008 at 09:00:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It probably depends a lot on conditions (none / 1)
I seem to remember that a heat pump's big savings came from replacing aircos in summer, not from heating in winter.
That's for the capital cost. As far as energy consumption is concerned, the main criterion is the temperature differential between the heat reserve (usually the atmosphere, but it is more efficient, if available, to tap a swimming pool or dig in tubes to tap the ground) and the desired temperature.
That means that it's probably not very efficient in mid-winter in Alaska. And conversely, places where you are going to need both cooling in summer, and heating in winter, are going to be the places where heat pumps are the most compelling.


A 'centrist' is someone who's neither on the left, nor on the left.
by nicta (nico＠altiva․fr) on Thu Feb 14th, 2008 at 04:01:08 AM EST
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Wind exajoules | 25 comments (25 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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